The present invention relates generally to a strand gripping and severing device and more particularly to such an arrangement in a dental floss applicator to be used in dispensing and supporting a strand of dental floss under tension for cleaning between teeth. Even more particularly, the strand gripping and severing device is formed as a part of a capstan arrangement on the applicator which substitutes fresh floss material for previously used material and maintains the tension on the floss.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,598 illustrates dental floss applicators of the general type with which the present invention is primarily concerned while copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 435,619, filed Oct. 20, 1982, illustrates several improvements on this patented device particularly in the floss strand supply and tensioning aspects thereof. Parent application Ser. No. 435,619 employs a simple capstan V-shaped slot for anchoring the floss leading end while suggesting that the double slotted capstan arrangement with one slot containing a floss severing clip as in the patented arrangement could be employed. These two techniques for anchoring the floss leading end to the capstan in the applicator while adequate, have some drawbacks from a user's point of view. The simplistic single notch arrangement tends to pull free when an inadequate number of turns about the takeup portion of the capstan are employed. Further with the simplistic notch arrangement a separate floss cut off tool is sometimes needed or extra care must be taken to tuck away a free end extending from the notch lest that floss dangle from the free end to the irritation of the user. Similarly, with the two notch arrangement of the prior patent, the half turn of floss between the cut-off notch and the holding notch may slip free of the cutting notch again to the irritation of a user. Ideally, a floss severing function and a floss gripping function would be provided within the same capstan notch.